ests of the upper classes. Then it was said that the lords hated him because he showed much favor to the Jews and the Germans.
Rudolph made very extensive preparations for war, being sustained by the princes of the empire, who willingly sent large forces to his aid. Besides this, he secured the alliance of the King of Hungary, who was glad of the opportunity to help to humble the pride of his old enemy. The Hungarian army was to invade Moravia and Austria, while the imperial army marched into Bohemia.
The Bohemian king, surrounded by thankless and disloyal lords, could raise but a small army as compared with that of the emperor; yet he did not lose heart, but did the very best he could with the means at his command. The Hungarians, according to agreement, invaded Moravia, marching with little opposition as far as Vienna. Here they were met by Rudolph’s army, who, instead of going first to Bohemia, had also marched directly to Vienna. While Premysl Ottokar was marching in pursuit of the imperial army, a conspiracy broke out among some of the first lords of the kingdom, who at once commenced to devastate the estates and cities of the king. This unexpected blow decided the fate of the unfortunate king. By this time his army was reduced to but 20,000, while that of Rudolph was five times as large. Seeing that a battle at such fearful odds would be but useless bloodshed, Ottokar agreed to make peace, the terms of which were very hard indeed. Premsyl was obliged to give up all his possessions except Bohemia and Moravia, which he received as fiefs from the emperor. In addition to this, it was agreed that Václav, the only
